Seen on: December 6, 2008

The players: Director: Randall Miller, Writers: Jody Savin, Randall Miller, Cast: Shawn Hatosy, Bryan Greenberg, Alan Rickman, Mary Steenburgen, Eliza Dushku

Facts of interest: Miller also directed "Bottle Shock."

The plot: Shortly after Eli Michaelson (Rickman) wins the Nobel Prize for chemistry, his son Barkley (Bryan Greenberg) is kidnapped and held hostage for a ransom of $2 million.

Our thoughts: It’s impossible to talk about this movie in great length without revealing too much, so I’ll make this a short one. In a nutshell, Randall Miller’s “Nobel Son” is convoluted and utterly ludicrous. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The film undoubtedly has its flaws, but the crazed plot with its countless twists eventually delivers solid entertainment.

Bryan Greenberg stars as Barkley Michaelson, a young doctoral candidate who’s busy working on his thesis when his father Eli (Alan Rickman) wins the Nobel Prize for chemistry. Barkley, however, couldn’t care less about the win, primarily because his father is a rotten bastard who treats everyone like dirt and cheats on his wife (Mary Steenburgen) with his female students and co-workers.

But no one could have predicted what happens next. On the eve of the prestigious awards ceremony, Barkley is brutally kidnapped and held hostage for a ransom of $2 million. Not taking the situation seriously, his father obviously refuses to pay, which triggers a series of both unfortunate and surprising events that will sooner or later completely change the lives of everyone involved.

And so begins this crazy tale of ruthless betrayal and revenge, in which no character can be trusted and the plot is simply too ridiculous to be taken seriously. “Nobel Son” is one of those films taking immense pleasure in surprising audiences with one fat-fetched twist after another, not caring at all about how implausible the whole thing looks like in the end.

Is it fun to watch? Sure, but don’t go looking for any depth in the main story line. “Nobel Son” is an entertaining flick, but it’s just about as brainless as movies can be. That said, the chaotic editing and Paul Oakenfold’s dominating techno soundtrack really annoyed me. It’s not that the music is that bad, but it keeps intruding into nearly every scene without really fitting in.

The cast delivers the goods, with Greenberg turning in a more or less believable performance as lead character Barkley. Despite their bizarre characters, Rickman, Steenburgen and Bill Pullman make the best out of what the script supplies them with. And as for Eliza Dushku… let’s just say she still looks incredibly hot.

Freaky quote: “Who is he when nobody is driving the car?" – Bill Pullman

The final word: Considering “Nobel Son” was barely promoted during the days leading up to its theatrical release, I suspect it will be gone before we know it. While it’s certainly a forgettable crime thriller without potential for repeated viewing, I admit it kept me engaged for the 102 minutes. If you’re willing to shut your brain off and accept the insanity of these characters, you may actually enjoy this one.

Article by Franck Tabouring